The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-07-15
THE WOMEN PROTESTED,


but their protest was unheeded and the
Mystery and her precious load swung
off the Ruffle Bar pier at o'clock. The
Christina, as could be easily seen, was
swinging out in the Mystery's wake
Captain Hendrickson, of the Mystery
said in the hearing of some of the wo-
men who were rescued, that he was GO
ing to get to Canarsie first or blow stick
out. Mrs. Swelzer, of Green Point,
made a most earnest protest against
more sail as the boat was already leaning
to in a way that frightened the women
almost into Mysteries. Capt. HendrIck-
son declared that he could sail the Mys-
terry through gale, and insisted in his
order for more sail. The reef knots
were unfastened and the boom dropped,
just as squall of considerable violence
struck the sail. In second
SHE WAS ON BEAM ENDS
and all the people were struggling in the
choppy sea. The catastrophe was wit
messed from the tug ]. G. Dean, which
was then over two miles away. For five
minutes the yact remained on her beam
end, and the shrouds and bullworks af-
forded some hold for the engulfed peo-
pie. The struggle for place to hold on
was awful, as fully half of the drowning
people were children. The mothers
tmade frantic efforts to get their little
ones where they could hold on to some
thing, but one after another they were
swept off in the tideway and buoyed by
their clothing their hands waved in
frantic and unavailing appeals for help.
Before the Dean got near enough to be
of any use negro put out from Barrln
Island in rowboat, and was the first to
aid the drowning people. Altogether
seven of the lives saved are to be credit
ed solely 10 his efforts. When the Dean
arrived there were few of the victims
still above the surface. As she neared
a woman floating, trying to buoy up her
4-year old child, a man on the guard sud-
denly exclaimed, "my God,
THAT Is MY WIFE,"
and Owed to her aid. The woman had
already lost her grip on the child, and
was about sinking when he reached hel
He had the choice of saving her or his
child and he chose the wife. He and
she were soon drawn aboard the Dean
but the child sank before their eyes
The next grappled was woman of mid
die age, who had been kept on the sur.
face by her stoutness. She, however
was so exhausted that she died few
minutes alter she was brought aboard
the tug. A child and another woman
died after thev were taken out, but the
Deans willing passengers and crew sue
coed in rescuing FIVE alive.
According 10 the latest reports THU
morning the disaster proves to be fully
as serious as at first stated. The number
of lives lost will not be less than twenty
five and is likely to reach twenty-seven
The party was manly from the eastern
district of Brooklyn, and was known ~
the Crescent Yact Club. 1t was nomi.
nal organization, SIMPLY for the purpose
of a chowder party or picnic, and in the
depth of grief and horror that
the accident has plunged its members
they are severally able to tell the partic
ulars of the makeup of their own party
A number of invited guests, known only
to persons who extended them invita-
tons and not to others, makes it impos
sible even now to give list of the pas
sengers Of the ill-fated yact. The bes
advices estimate the Iwhole load at 81
and the number of those saved is only
ten. Survivors and others of the clul